Sadhana - doing it and not doing it

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

I remember reading one of the converstaions with RamanaMaharshi in a

book when a devotee asked Him wwhether doing sadhana (say mantra

sadhana as done by Sri Seshadri Swamigal) would be beneficial for

self-realization and His answer was it would be beneficial if the

sadhaka bears in mind that there is no 'I' doing sadhana.

It is true from my experience (watching myself and others) that

sometimes sadhana builds up the ego instead of cutting it with the

thougts like 'I am doing such a great sadhana', 'I have been doing

so much sadhana since many years', ' I am so fortunate to take it at

an young age' etc.

 

So whatever sahdana taken up should be done with no thought of 'I am

doing it'. Does that mean that Sri Seshadri Swamigal did sadhana

with no thought of 'I am doing it' and hence came to know the Truth.

If that is the case what difference would it make doing it or not

doing it.

 

Ramana Maharshi certainly preached that for atma vichara time, place

and condition do not matter and it should be going all the time.

Then what difference would it be in doing in a normal activity like

cooking dinner against doing puja. Is the latter beneficial in any

way if that is the case.

 

In this regard, I am just quoting the message posted by Sri Nagaraja

Pani of this group.

 

"Bhagavan's keenness in the Sri Chakra pratishtapana and upasana

have also been quoted. It is not unusual for a Jnani to follow Sri

Chakra upasana or show interest. To those who are not aware, the

Jagadguru Shankaracharya at Sri Sharada Peetam, Sringeri, performs

Sri Chakra puja every friday. Sri Chandrasekahara Bharati swaminah,

the 34th pontiff took to vichara, akin to Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi,

leading to Self Realisation. He never practised Hatha yoga or any

other such kind of sadhana. My grand father was fortunate to be

Private Secretary to His Holiness and thus had the previlage of

being one among the very few to be in close proximity to His

Holiness. While firmly abiding in the Self all along, His Holiness

was considered a great Sri Vidya Upasaka."

 

Based on the above message, what is the difference in the following

three cases:

1. A person doing atma vichara and also doing Sri chakra upasana

normally.

2. A person doing atma vichara and also doing Sri chakra upasana

with the thought there is no one really doing it.

3. A person doing atma vichara alone.

4. A person doing Sri chakra upasana alone - as was the case of Sri

Seshadri Swamigal.

 

I think this is the reason Sri Babaji Nagaraj came up with a mixed

system called Kriya Yoga which involves yoga, mantra, vichara and

bhakti.

I know that in essence there is no two or more but only one but at

least in this stage I see difference.

Thanks a lot,

Sai.

[Guest guest]

This is what arose, when reading your mail.

saikumar_durga <saikumar_durga (AT) (DOT) co.in> wrote:

Hi All,I remember reading one of the converstaions with RamanaMaharshi in a book

when a devotee asked Him wwhether doing sadhana (say mantra sadhana as done by

Sri Seshadri Swamigal) would be beneficial for self-realization and His answer

was it would be beneficial if the sadhaka bears in mind that there is no 'I'

doing sadhana.It is true from my experience (watching myself and others) that

sometimes sadhana builds up the ego instead of cutting it with the thougts like

'I am doing such a great sadhana', 'I have been doing so much sadhana since many

years', ' I am so fortunate to take it at an young age' etc.

Yes, I can concur that this is often the case.So whatever sahdana taken up

should be done with no thought of 'I am doing it'.

It appears here that any sadhna with a "should", is not a sadhna.

To this simpleton, thinking "I am not doing the sadhna" , is still a prevailing

sense of an "I".

Does that mean that Sri Seshadri Swamigal did sadhana with no thought of 'I am

doing it' and hence came to know the Truth. If that is the case what difference

would it make doing it or not doing it.

It seems more and more clear, that the doing in the present moment or it's

absence, neither of them, has anything to do, with coming to know Truth.

Ramana Maharshi certainly preached that for atma vichara time, place and

condition do not matter and it should be going all the time. Then what

difference would it be in doing in a normal activity like cooking dinner

against doing puja. Is the latter beneficial in any way if that is the case.

To this simpleton, neither the cooking of dinner or doing puja or doing vichar,

have any differential value in the quest for knowing Truth.

It seems, a sense of something known as "Truth", and the need to quest for that

self-defined Truth, is born with the birth of the sense of a individual self,

the "I".

It seems, this "I" is a prevailing sense, a feeling associated with the activity

in the moment, by which it assumes ownership of that activity.

Whether that activity is cooking dinner, doing puja, vichar or kriya Yoga.

And while the activities change, in the process of this continued sense of

ownership, the sense of "I" gets perpetuated.

The prevailing sense of "I", or it's ending, seems to have nothing to do with

the activity of the moment, or the absence of activity.

In this regard, I am just quoting the message posted by Sri Nagaraja Pani of

this group."Bhagavan's keenness in the Sri Chakra pratishtapana and upasana

have also been quoted. It is not unusual for a Jnani to follow Sri Chakra

upasana or show interest. To those who are not aware, the Jagadguru

Shankaracharya at Sri Sharada Peetam, Sringeri, performs Sri Chakra puja every

friday. Sri Chandrasekahara Bharati swaminah, the 34th pontiff took to

vichara, akin to Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, leading to Self Realisation. He

never practised Hatha yoga or any other such kind of sadhana. My grand father

was fortunate to be Private Secretary to His Holiness and thus had the

previlage of being one among the very few to be in close proximity to His

Holiness. While firmly abiding in the Self all along, His Holiness was

considered a great Sri Vidya Upasaka."Based on the above message, what

is the difference in the following three cases:1. A person doing atma vichara

and also doing Sri chakra upasana normally.2. A person doing atma vichara and

also doing Sri chakra upasana with the thought there is no one really doing

it.3. A person doing atma vichara alone.4. A person doing Sri chakra upasana

alone - as was the case of Sri Seshadri Swamigal.

To this novice, there is no difference in any of these activities.

To this novice, it seems that thought cannot negate thought.

And that activities as well as the body through which the activity is happening,

both are nothing but thoughts.

 

I think this is the reason Sri Babaji Nagaraj came up with a mixed system called

Kriya Yoga which involves yoga, mantra, vichara and bhakti. I know that in

essence there is no two or more but only one but at least in this stage I see

difference. Thanks a lot,Sai. Messenger - Communicate

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